Reverie Tarot

Reverie Tarot is a hand-illustrated 78 + 1 card tarot deck inspired by dreams, numerology, symbolism, and psychedelic pop-art. Originally created in 2016, the project later expanded into multiple editions, companion guidebooks, and additional symbolic decks within the world of Reverie.

Goals / Visual Direction

  • Illustrate a fully realized 78-card tarot deck and companion guidebook that merged symbolic storytelling with psychedelic pop-art aesthetics, inspired by Peter Max

  • Develop a cohesive visual language built around elemental symbolism, numerology, and recurring environmental motifs

  • Expand the project into a connected physical product system including alternate editions, packaging, guidebooks, and companion decks

Process

  • Illustrated 3 proof-of-concept cards (The Fool, 6 of Cups, and Knight of Pentacles) to establish the visual system before developing the full deck

  • Pencil-sketched layouts for all 78 cards to map composition, symbolism, and environmental storytelling across the deck

  • Created a visual key for recurring elemental motifs, symbols, and environmental structures to maintain consistency across all cards

  • Hand-illustrated all cards using archival ink on 5×7" heavyweight fine texture paper

  • Explored multiple color approaches including watercolor, marker, and digital rendering before selecting digital coloring for its consistent texture and high-saturation palette

  • Scanned, cleaned, and prepared all traditional illustrations for digital production

  • Digitally colored and refined all artwork using a vivid limited palette inspired by psychedelic pop-art aesthetics

  • Designed a consistent card framework for titles, numbering, and typography across the full deck

  • Expanded the original visual system into:

    • Midnight Reverie Tarot, a black-and-gold alternate edition

    • an updated second edition featuring revised colors, larger imagery, and redesigned card backs based on audience feedback

    • Reverie Runes, a 40-card companion deck built using the same symbolic visual language

Process for 0 - The Fool.
Left to Right: layout sketch, ink, first edition, second edition.

Results

  • Raised $11K+ across 2 successful Kickstarter campaigns

  • Produced and shipped physical editions of the deck and guidebook to 15+ countries

  • Expanded Reverie into a larger illustrated product ecosystem including companion decks, collector editions, and physical accessories

Visual Reference Sheet

Visual Reference Sheet - Used to align recurring elements for consistent world building

Sketches, Inks, and Color Tests

Original sketches included detailed notes and optional layouts

Inks, displayed in full to check for consistency across patterns and composition.

Watercolor test - Visual Reference Sheet

Watercolor test - Suit of Cups

First Edition & Midnight Reverie

Check out the full gallery of first edition and Midnight Reverie cards on Kickstarter.

Box and gilded card edges

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Box and gilded card edges

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Second Edition

Box and gilded card edges

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Reverie Runes

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Full Gallery of Second Edition Cards